Data is power, and now the players will own it! Individual player data will be collected by FIFA, giving players immediate insights for the first time.
The launch of a dedicated player app for Qatar 2022 is the latest development in Fifa’s digital transformation journey. In line with the FIFA President’s Vision 2020-2023 to harness technology further to improve football, players at the FIFA WC 2022 will be able to get insights into their on-field performance through the FIFA Player App, based on input from professional players, in collaboration with FIFPRO, the global representative of professional footballers.
This innovation is the first visible outcome of the collaboration between FIFA and FIFPRO on developing standards and best practices for collecting, protecting and using personal player-performance data. Both organisations have been working closely together to define a Charter of Player Data Rights to develop these standards whilst transparently informing football players about their privacy rights according to existing legislation such as the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and allowing them to benefit from personal rights to manage and access information about their performance and health. The Charter of Player Data Rights responds to the opportunities and challenges caused by new technologies and is guided by leading legislation on data protection and privacy rights.
The survey and interviews show that players are very interested in their performance data and want easy access to this information. Eighty percent of professional footballers surveyed by FIFPRO said they want access to their data to improve their performance on the pitch. The FIFA Player App will allow each player to access their individual player-performance data shortly after each match.
The data collected includes the following:
• Enhanced football data metrics.
• Physical performance metrics.
• Enhanced football intelligence metrics.
Johannes Holzmüller, FIFA Director of Football Technology & Innovation, said: “For the first time at a FIFA World Cup, not only the participating teams but also all players will have the opportunity to get direct access to their own performance data and the related video clips after each match.”
Simon Colosimo, FIFPRO Deputy General Secretary, said: “Players have clearly articulated to us that they want more access and benefit from the collection of their data. In combination with the Charter of Player Data Rights announced earlier this week, the FIFA Player App is a positive outcome that will activate personal data rights and provide a new resource for players at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.”
Alexander Bielefeld, FIFPRO Director of Global Policy & Strategic Relations, said: “Professional footballers have the same data rights as everyone else. They must be in a position to access, transfer and control when and how sensitive data about them is used.”
One of the goals of FIFA’s Vision 2020-2023 is to harness technology to serve football, players and the game best – including how FIFA processes players’ personal data. It´s time to give the players the tools to own their data and be fully part of the business.
